ABC Suspends Producer John Green After E-Mail Flap

ABC News executives have suspended Weekend Good Morning America executive producer John Green for a month, after two politically charged personal e-mails Green sent to a colleague were leaked to the press, according to two network sources.

In one e-mail, sent during a presidential debate on Sept. 30, 2004, Green wrote, “Are you watching this? Bush makes me sick. If he uses the ‘mixed messages’ line one more time, I’m going to puke.” That message appeared on the Drudge Report on March 23. Green e-mailed his staff the day it was posted to apologize. In his mea culpa, which was also posted on Drudge, Green wrote “I want all of you to know how much I regret the embarrassment this story causes ABC. It was an inappropriate thing to say and I’m deeply sorry.”

On March 30, The New York Post‘s “Page Six” quoted from another Green e-mail, this one about former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In that note, for which no date was given, Green argued that Albright should not be booked on GMA because she has “Jew shame,” the Post reported.

Weekend GMA staffers were told of Green’s suspension today.

An ABC spokesman declined to comment, saying the network does not discuss personnel matters.